


Seeing is Believing

by Kaslyna



Category: Penny Dreadful (TV)
Genre: 2.01 Ending AU, Accidental Voyeurism, Dubiously consensual voyeurism, F/M, First Time, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Sex, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 13:17:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18095033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaslyna/pseuds/Kaslyna
Summary: An AU in which Vanessa goes to Ethan after the end of 2.01, watches him getting himself off, and what happens next.Dubiously consensual voyeurism aka Vanessa does not think Ethan can see her, but he knows she is there the entire time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [amunetts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amunetts/gifts).



> Yeah okay this just began as a middle of the night conversation with vanessaschandler on Tumblr about how Vanessa is a voyeur and this being an idea I wanted to write. Two chapters because I wanted to have another one from Ethan's POV and why not write actual sex too?

The blood on her hands had yet to fully dry before she stood on shaky legs and went down the hall to the room Mr. Chandler had been given. 

 

Vanessa was not quite sure why she sought  _ him _ out; it would have made more sense, after all, to perhaps seek out Sir Malcolm. The man was somewhat of a father figure to her, and was that not the sort of thing a parent was supposed to be there for? But instead she sought solace with a man who had  _ just _ lost a woman he had loved barely two days prior. It was selfish, of that Vanessa was entirely certain, and yet she could not bring herself to care enough to turn back or head in a different direction.

 

His door was just barely ajar; so slight a thing as to be almost unnoticeable if one was not directly in front of it like Vanessa was. Mostly likely he had not even realized that the door had not properly closed. She took a deep breath, both steeling herself to admit her weakness to him and to pause, briefly, to consider whether or not this course of action was wise. 

 

It was during this short moment of reflection that Vanessa heard it, so faint she thought that she must have imagined it. But then it happened again; a choked moan as if he were trying to silence himself. 

 

Vanessa told herself as she pushed the door open ever so slightly more-just enough to peek inside, yet not enough to be seen by Ethan if he was on the bed as she assumed-that she was simply checking to make sure that he was okay, that he was not groaning because he was in some sort of distress. She knew instinctively, however, that the noises he had made were of pleasure rather than pain, even before she received confirmation in the image of Ethan's nude form half sitting against the pillows propped against the headboard of his bed, his hand wrapped around his cock. 

 

Vanessa bit her lip to stifle a moan of her own at the sight. Illuminated only by candlelight she could see the dewy sheen of sweat covering his body, which appeared nearly golden in the faint light of the candles. One of his legs was slightly bent, and she watched mesmerized at the languid way he stroked his cock from base to tip, over and over. His eyes slammed shut, head rearing back as a particularly loud noise escaped him when he ran his thumb over the slit at the head of his cock. She was frozen, the small part of her still rational enough to realize she should leave now and do her best to forget what she had already seen gone at the sight of him so lost in the pleasure of his own ministrations.

 

Vanessa wanted badly to enter his room fully, take him in her still bloodied hands and ride him until they were both too spent to even think. She just knew inherently that he would feel fucking amazing inside of her, filling her to completion in a way that no other man had quite been able to accomplish. The thought should have terrified her, but Vanessa was far too lost in her own lust to reflect upon it. She was so wet that she could feel the slickness on her thighs, a persistent ache between her legs that she was desperate to relieve in any way. Vanessa subconsciously pressed them together and the throbbing increased, furthering her torment. 

 

Ethan was getting close, she could tell. His hips thrust with every stroke of his hand, and he was barely able to restrain the noises that tumbled from his lips. God how badly she wanted to taste his mouth, to bite his lower lip and perhaps other parts of him too, to replace his hand on his cock with her own, looking into his eyes as he came closer and closer to his climax. She could not stop her mind from wandering, wondering what the skin of his collarbones might taste like, what his beard might feel like against her own skin. Would he be rough with her, or careful? Which would she even prefer?

 

Vanessa was brought back from her fantasies to the present moment by a strangled groan Ethan let out, and barely restrained herself from making a noise as well. She watched as he ran his hand slowly up and down his length a few more times and then ran his thumb along the head again and came, spilling over his hand onto his stomach. As he reached his peak she heard her own name fall from his lips, and it was the shock of that that made it possible for her to back away, closing the door as quietly as possible while she prayed he had not realized he had had an audience. 

 

Her hands shook, her entire body trembling slightly with desire as she moved swiftly back to her own room. The door slammed shut behind her and she sank down it slowly, finding herself out of breath. Her head was spinning, in such turmoil was she. The desire warred within her for the shame and guilt of having witnessed such a very private act, amplifying the desire in such a perverse way she did her best not to dwell on it too long. 

 

Amongst those emotions was the unnamed one, the one that had made her react so viscerally when it had been  _ her _ name Mr. Chandler had spoken with his release. The one that was maybe something like love, the one the devil had used against her the month before.

 

The memory of her time possessed and what had led to it washed over her as cold as ice, not enough to rid her of the desire burning white hot inside of her-concentrated low in her belly and between her legs-but enough to temper it. 

 

Enough to not go back to Ethan, to admit what she had seen, to-no, she would not think of such things, of asking if he would prefer the real thing to whatever had been in his mind during that final moment.

 

She did not sleep that night; a mix of so many fears and of desire that simmered barely contained beneath the surface of her skin.


	2. Chapter 2

The restless energy and the tension within him had made it difficult to sleep, and so he had thought to attempt a different method to become relaxed enough in the hopes that he might get a few hours asleep and away from his own mind-of his guilt, his shame, his worry, his desire, his sadness, his love. Ethan had learned from experience that sometimes the best-no, the _only_ -way to make himself tired was to fuck into his own fist, if no willing partner was available, or if he lacked the desire to find someone. Taking care of his own needs had never been his preferred method for release, but he enjoyed it enough not to complain when that was his best or only option.

 

Usually it was a mechanical, methodical thing, in which he did not waste time thinking of anyone while he got himself off. So it was surprising that he did, and even moreso that it was not Brona that immediately came to mind as he took his cock in hand but Miss Ives. The twinge of guilt and shame that produced was easily shoved down as Ethan found a rhythm that suited him and thought became difficult.

 

He had barely started when he became aware of her-not by any sounds she made, but the wolf’s instincts responded to her presence and it took all of his willpower not to make it known that he knew she was there. At first this was not so difficult; he knew the exact move that would make his brain shut off properly, so that the prickle in the back of his mind that was the beast’s awareness of her presence and desire for her was no more than a mere irritation.

 

The beast within him yearned more frantically however when his heightened senses allowed him to smell Vanessa’s own desire. The knowledge that she was there-wanting him as badly as he wanted her-was almost too much for Ethan. He forced himself to slow down, to calm himself lest he do something that might spook her.

 

He did not attempt to stop the noises he produced as he got closer and closer to his peak; he merely did his best to ensure they were not so loud that anyone besides Vanessa could hear them and wonder. He was aware the entire time that the closer he got to his own climax, the more she wanted him.

 

It was this fact as much as what he was doing with his own hand that finally, _finally_ , sent him over the edge. He was unable to stop himself from letting her name fall from his lips in that moment as the pleasure nearly blinded him. He was only dimly aware of the small gasp she let out, the soft sound of the door closing as she left.

 

His sleep that night was still restless, albeit for an entirely different reason.

 

-o-o-o-

 

Ethan barely saw Miss Ives the next day, and whenever he did, she would avert her eyes. He knew that she was unsettled, but he also knew-thanks to the beast’s instincts-that she still wanted him, that every hello he said caused a wave of desire to crash through her. So he did not push, and let it be.

 

It was late that evening, and he was in front of the fire in his room, reading a book he’d nicked from the library downstairs. He was not particularly interested in it, but he had nothing better to do at that point; he felt as if he were waiting for something to happen.

 

The answer to that restless feeling made itself known in the form of Vanessa at his door, clad only in her nightgown and a thin dressing gown over it. She had pushed it open and simply stood there in the doorway for a long moment, making eye contact with him. Slowly, Ethan marked his page and put the book down on the floor. At his response she inched into the room. She stood still staring at him unnervingly for another long moment before seemingly coming to some decision. She turned enough to close the door and then walked determinedly towards where he still sat, waiting for her obediently.

 

Ethan leaned back in the chair as Vanessa slowly climbed onto his lap, giving him the opportunity to stop her if he had wanted to. It was a tight fit, but she managed to straddle him, his arms automatically wrapping around her waist as her hands cupped his face. The look on her face was intense, searching. He waited her out, deciding it was best to let her make the first move in whatever this was going to be.

 

Her mouth pressed against his, hard and insistent. He let her explore his mouth with her tongue, and when they inevitably had to pull back for air he wasted no time peppering open mouthed kisses along her sharp jawline, down her neck as best he could. One of his hands pressed against her back to bring her closer, and she ground down on him in response.

 

He pulled back so he could see her face. She smiled at him a little, reaching up to brush some of his hair from his face. She kissed him again, softly. This time when they pulled back their foreheads rested together as they basked in the moment, no impatience in them.

 

“Bed?” he suggested after some time had passed. She stiffened briefly, and then slowly relaxed, nodding.

 

Ethan gripped her firmly and stood. Vanessa let out a noise as he did so, and he grinned at her as he carried her to the bed and placed her on it. She sat up and wriggled out of her dressing gown; he took that as his cue to undo his suspenders and remove his shirt. Her eyes roamed his newly bared skin with a barely contained hunger that he relished in. Ethan joined her on the bed after a moment, and moved to rest on top of her and kiss her again.

 

Once more he kissed his way down her neck. Her hands tangled in his hair when he pushed aside one strap of her nightgown to kiss her shoulder, the top of her breast. He pulled back to look at her face as he helped to remove the strap from that shoulder entirely, skimming his fingers from her shoulder diagonally across her breast, brushing against her nipple before settling at the center of her chest. Her eyes closed and she let out a whimper when he removed his hand.

 

He leaned down to kiss between her breasts, and eventually he licked at her nipple before sucking it in his mouth. Ethan teased it lightly with his teeth as he let it go, and sat back once more. This time he did not kiss her; he watched her face intently as he began to push up the hem of her nightgown, gently nudging her legs apart once he had it most of the way up her thighs.

 

Vanessa obliged him eagerly, and he grinned, feral, at her at the way she so quickly spread her legs for him. Then he leaned down and kissed the side of one knee before dragging his tongue up towards her hip. She moaned at the sensation and he moved to the other thigh, alternating between close mouthed and open mouthed kisses, short flicks of his tongue here and there.

 

He pushed the nightgown further to rest just above her hips, and took a moment to absorb the sight of her newly bared flesh. The sight of her cunt, already glistening with desire, made the beast inside him stir, urging him to take her. He focused himself, and instead leaned down to place his mouth on her inner thigh once more. Ethan’s kiss turned possessive in an instant as he was unable to stop himself from biting and sucking a mark there. Vanessa shouted, her hands tangling in his hair once more, but made no move to pull him away. He licked at the mark after, mumbling an apology.

 

Ethan barely gave her time to collect herself before he moved in and placed a kiss on the center of her. She inhaled sharply, and he began to eagerly explore her folds with his tongue. The hand in his hair became more demanding as he fucked her this way, until eventually she was gasping for breath and pulling on his hair to get him to stop.

 

He extracted himself, and allowed himself to be pulled to her mouth. She whimpered a little at the taste of herself on his tongue, and then wrapped around him and rolled so she was on top of him. He tucked her hair behind her ears and waited, watching as Vanessa moved back so she could reach between them and undo his trousers. She pulled them down his hips enough to free him, taking his cock in her hand. He let out a hiss as she ran her thumb along the slit on the head, biting her lip as she assessed his reaction to this maneuver up close. What she had witnessed last night had done his face no justice, she inevitably concluded.

 

Ethan gripped her nightgown and held it for her so she could move above his length, sinking down onto it slowly. He let go of the nightgown to grip her hips, bracing himself against the sensation. They each gave the other a moment to adjust before she began to move, slowly at first, and then faster as they came closer to their peaks. He thrust his hips upwards with every downward stroke she made, quickly settling into a rhythm. The grunts she let out inflamed him beyond reason, noises he knew would haunt him until the end of time. The fabric of the clothing they still wore brushing against their sensitive skins seemed to heighten every sensation. Ethan’s eyes fixated on her chest, at the way her one bared breast moved, the other strap of the nightgown slipping as well.

 

When that strap had revealed almost the entire top of her other breast Ethan once more bunched the fabric of her nightgown in his hands and lifted it up and off her. The momentary disruption to their rhythm was worth it to see her nude. The flush of her skin extended to just below her breasts, and the freckles he knew to be scattered across the skin of her face and neck were scattered sporadically all across the rest of her as well.

 

Ethan rolled them quickly so that Vanessa was on her back, the way her dark hair fanned across his pillow a stark contrast to the white of the pillowcase. He slipped out of her briefly so that he could remove his trousers fully as well, and then wasted no time in entering her once more. Ethan quickly settled into a rhythm that she once more matched. One of her hands was on his upper back, nails digging in, while the other was settled at his ass, pulling him deeper inside of her. She splayed her legs even further in an attempt to feel as much of him as possible, and Ethan was eager to indulge her.

 

He shifted so he could move one of his hands between her legs, eyes on her face as he found what he was looking for. He was so close that it was nearly painful to stave off his release, but Ethan was determined that he bring her over that edge with him.

 

It did not take long for her; one well time thrust and a hard press of his thumb were all it took for her to cry out, spasming around him. He groaned her name and quickly followed suit, collapsing onto her.

 

She stroked his back, his hair, as they both came down from their highs. When he found himself enough to do so he moved out of her, settling down and pulling her so they lay on their sides face to face, and kissed her, slow and sweet.

 

“May I sleep here tonight?” she asked him softly afterwards, so close they were sharing breaths.

 

“Of course,” he reached to pull her closer.

 

She stiffened at his hand on her back, and he frowned as he realized there was some sort of marking on her back. Vanessa eventually stated, “Another time.”

 

“Okay,” he replied after a moment of mulling over whether or not the argument was worth it or not, and eventually reaching the conclusion that it wasn’t.

 

Vanessa sighed, mumbled her thanks. She hummed contentedly when Ethan pulled her closer. He debated maneuvering them under the blankets, and decided against it for now, as he realized she was probably close to sleep by the way her breathing had evened out and her body relaxed.

 

There was a peace in all that had transpired, he realized as he began to drift off, that was wholly unexpected in the best of ways; a sense of rightness, perhaps.

 

He did not have time to dwell on it; soon, he too was lost in slumber.


End file.
